June 3, 2025 - Reports are circulating that Former Seattle Kraken goalie Chris Driedger is showing interest in retiring from the NHL and signing with the Kontinental Hockey League’s (KHL) Traktor Chelyabinsk. The move could be a bold new opportunity for the veteran netminder who spent little time between the pipes the last two years between injury and trades. An official statement from the player has yet to be made.

The KHL is considered to be the strongest hockey league in Europe and the second-strongest in the world behind the NHL. The KHL was founded in 2008 and includes teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China, among other nations.

In March 2025, Chris Driedger was traded to the Winnipeg Jetsfrom the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen. Drafted fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2021, he signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal but was relegated to a backup role after the team added Philipp Grubauer.

The 31-year-old Winnipeg native began his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators in 2014, later signing a two-year extension with the Panthers in 2019.

In 2024–25, Driedger played 20 games for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, posting a 10-6-4 record, a 2.97 GAA, and a .878 save percentage.

Limited by an ACL injury from the 2022 World Men's Championship, he appeared in just two games for Seattle in 2023–24, going 1-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and a .917 SV%. Following his nine-month recovery Driedger played with the Kraken's AHL affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 AHL seasons.

Driedger's former team the Florida Panthers are scheduled to play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, June 4th.

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Kraken Sign Ben Meyers To A One-Year, One-Way Contract ExtensionSeattle, WA - June 2, 2025- Seattle Kraken General Manager Jason Botterill announced that the 32nd franchise has signed forward Ben Meyers to a one-year, one-way contract extension ($775,000 AAV) through the 2025-26 season.

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News or Join the discussion with others in your hockey community on the Seattle Kraken Forum.

Jalen Chatfield

Chatfield was subbed out for Carolina Hurricanes prospect Alexander Nikishin in the last game of Carolina’s second-round matchup against the Washington Capitals. With Nikishin’s debut, Chatfield sat out for the entirety of the Hurricanes’ Conference Final matchup against the Florida Panthers. Carolina didn’t get swept this time around, losing in five games against the Panthers instead of four like the season before. Chatfield finished his stint in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with one goal scored in nine games played. 

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Nate Schmidt 

Schmidt has been a good defensive addition for the Panthers this season, contributing to the team’s offensive depth throughout the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is currently tied with Seth Jones for second on the Panthers in points produced by a defenceman this postseason with three goals and four assists in 17 games. With his team’s five-game Conference Final win against the Hurricanes, Schmidt is now one step closer to winning the first Stanley Cup of his career. 

Jonah Gadjovich

Gadjovich, the 55th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has the chance to play for his second Stanley Cup. He was part of last year’s championship-winning Panthers team despite not playing in any of their postseason games. This time, he has made a much bigger impact for his team, skating in 10 of Florida’s games and putting up two goals and an assist. He rejoined the team during their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and has yet to come out of the lineup since. 

Casey DeSmith

Despite being thought of as Stanley Cup contenders this season after acquiring Mikko Rantanen at the Trade Deadline, Casey DeSmith and the Dallas Stars fell to the Edmonton Oilers in five games. DeSmith slotted into Game 5 in a somewhat controversial decision, as Stars head coach Pete DeBoer pulled starting goaltender Jake Oettinger after he let in two goals on two shots against. In the final game of the Stars’ season, DeSmith played 50:16 and stopped 20 of 23 shots faced. 

Vasily Podkolzin 

Only a season after he was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Oilers, Podkolzin is preparing to play in his first ever Stanley Cup Final. The forward has played in all of the Oilers’ 16 postseason games, potting a goal and five assists in that span. He didn’t register any points during the Western Conference Finals, but saw his TOI spike to around an average of 11 minutes per game. 

Troy Stecher 

Like Podkolzin, former Canucks fan-favourite, Stecher, will also be taking part in his first Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton’s D-core has been a bit unpredictable during the playoffs seeing as one of their top defenders, Mattias Ekholm, missed the first three rounds of the 2025 postseason. Stecher was able to slot in for six games — two against the Vegas Golden Knights and four against the Stars — before Ekholm came back into the lineup. Even so, Stecher played well for the Oilers during his time in the lineup. 

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The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will face off in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season, beginning Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, TNT). The Panthers won last year's Stanley Cup in seven games, but enter this year's series as slight underdogs (+105 at BetMGM), while the Oilers are -125 favorites. 

The Oilers are -130 home favorites at BetMGM in Game 1, with the Panthers as +110 underdogs with a game total of six goals.

Yahoo Sports asked handicapper Josh Inglis about a few of his best bets for the Stanley Cup Final:

Florida Panthers (+105) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-125)

Inglis: "I like the Panthers in the series at -110 or better, but I’ll take the Game 1 price here at +115. I’m not worried too much about home-ice advantage in this series as Florida has been lights out on the road in the playoffs, and the Panthers have been -160, -180 and -125 series favorites in each series where they were the road team.

"This is the much deeper lineup, and the longer the playoffs go, Edmonton’s depth will be exposed. Florida is still tough to match up against on the road as its third line has possibly been its best line in the playoffs."

Best bets: Panthers Game 1 ML +115, Panthers to win series +105

Inglis: "Evan Rodrigues is still undervalued in the prop market, which is spilling over into his series point markets. The winger is playing on the top line for the Panthers and the first power play. He should be -150 or shorter for a point but is priced at around +100 to get one in Game 1.

"In the previous round, he tied for the team lead in points with seven. He averaged almost 18 minutes per game vs. the Hurricanes and is showing finish, as well as some play-making ability [six assists].

"I think Alex Barkov is the best bet for the Conn Smythe at +600 and that means Rodrigues is tagging along as he will play his 5-on-5 and power-play shifts all with the elite center. Even if this series is a sweep, this plus-money prop has legs."

Best bet: Evan Rodrigues to record five points in the series +210

With the NHL draft just around the corner, the Montreal Canadiens’ brass has moved to the KeyBank Center, the Buffalo Sabres' home, for the NHL Scouting Combine. From June 2 to June 7, the most promising prospects will face the most important interviews of their young lives and gruelling physical tests.

Teams can interview the prospects from June 2 to 6, as the bulk of the physical testing will occur on June 7. That day will be reserved exclusively for the tests. On tap for the prospects on that day at LECOM Harborcenter: standing height/wingspan, horizontal jump, force plate vertical jump, bench press, pro agility test, pull-ups, and the Wingate Cycle Ergometer test. As for the Maximal VO2 test, it will be done on June 6.

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After diligently scouting prospects for the past year, the Combine finally allows NHL teams to speak with the ones they deem most interesting and believe will be available when it's their turn to speak. Mind you, in 2019, the Canadiens took Cole Caufield to dinner even though his agent told them GM Marc Bergevin there was no chance the sniper would still be on the board at number 15, but lo and behold, there he was when the Canadiens took to the stage, and the rest is history.

Currently, it’s impossible to know which prospects the Canadiens will interview or take out to dinner; however, the organization has been reported as interested in Justin Carbonneau, Malcolm Spence, and Carter Bear, among others. Watch this space in the upcoming days for details on the combine.

Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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Winnipeg Jets goaltender Chris Driedger has reportedly signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL.

The Jets acquired Driedger at the trade deadline from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Kaapo Kahkonen, bringing the Winnipeg native home for the first time in his career.

The 31-year-old didn't play in NHL games with the Jets, but dressed in five games with the Manitoba Moose, recording an .872 SP and a 3.30 GAA. 

Driedger was drafted in the third round (76th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He would go on to play 67 games in the NHL, posting a .917 SP and a 2.45 GAA. His career was split with the Senators, the Seattle Kraken, the Panthers and the Jets, but he was never able to lock down a consistent role, playing a career-high 27 games with the Kraken in 2021-22. 

Driedger will join a Traktor team which lost in the Gagarin Cup finals this season. Their roster consisted of top free agent Maxim Shabonov, former top-10 pick Vitali Kravtsov and Canadian goaltender Zach Fucale. 

Fucale is pursuing a roster spot on an NHL team, which should present the opportunity for Driedger to fight for the No.1 spot. 

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Jets Lose Forward Rasmus Kupari to SwitzerlandWinnipeg Jets forward Rasmus Kupari has opted to continue his professional career overseas.

With Steve Staios seemingly looking to build the Ottawa Senators’ roster along the lines of the Florida Panthers’ model, how does he intend to deal with his six unrestricted free agents as July 1st approaches?

With UFAs Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore, Travis Hamonic and Anton Forsberg all needing new deals, the main question for Staios should be:

“How do these guys fit with what we are trying to do here?”

If the Panthers are the prototype, clearly the Senators are looking to become more difficult to play against through physical play, puck possession and structure. Those are three things that the Panthers have in abundance, and their three playoff opponents to date can attest to that.

This is the Senators’ current depth chart of players who are under contract on one-way deals for next season.

Forwards

Tkachuk-Stutzle-X
Perron-Cozens-Batherson
Greig-Pinto-Amadio
X-X-MacEwen

Defence

Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Jensen
Kleven-Matinpalo

Goalies

Ullmark
Sogaard

So let’s take a look at the Senators’ pending UFAs and each of their situations.

Claude Giroux

RFA Fabian Zetterlund will surely get a qualifying offer that he can decline so that the Senators maintain his rights and then work with him to avoid arbitration.

The acquisition of Zetterlund, a gritty player with offensive upside, at the trade deadline last season came at the expense of losing a less-developed but more raw and gritty player in Zack Ostapchuk.

Given his age (25), right shot and commitment to physical fitness, it almost feels like Staios is planning for life beyond Giroux. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want both in the lineup, but Giroux has much more past than future remaining, and the Senators aren’t likely to take a step forward with him in the top six.

At first glance, it would seem that rather than going after higher-priced free agents, Zetterlund might be signed to a longer-term deal to fill that hole in the top six.

Given his low level of production after being acquired, it would be normal to question such a move. However, the same thing happened when Zetterlund was acquired mid-season by the Sharks from the Devils in 2022-23. He only registered three points in 22 games.

The following season and this past season, he was trending upward until he got traded. Perhaps he just takes a little longer to get acclimated.

If that's what the Sens are counting on, is there a place in the current configuration for Giroux on the kind of contract he’ll want? There is talk that the veteran winger and the team are interested in making a deal and the number being bandied about is $3 million with some bonus structure.

Would Giroux accept a bottom-six role if he still got to be on the power play, penalty kill and to play up in the lineup when injuries arise? If the Sens sign Zetterlund to a longer, higher-paying deal, it may further diminish Giroux's role here.

Will RFA Fabian Zetterlund Get Paid On His San Jose Numbers Or The Ones In Ottawa?Fabian Zetterlund has only been an Ottawa Senator for a couple of months, and he’s already asking the club for a raise. That wouldn’t fly in a normal workplace, but that’s how it goes in the NHL when you bring in a pending restricted free agent at the trade deadline.

Nick Cousins

Cousins came in on a show-me contract for one year after winning the Stanley Cup. Cousins’ 15 points in 50 games were better than the 15 in 69 he had the year before. His veteran presence has value to the team, to be sure. However, if Zetterlund and Giroux are back, how many of the same guys are going to return?

The Senators can’t just ice the same squad that lost to the Leafs in round one.

Cousins would likely be re-signed if the money made sense. But he’s almost 32, and probably looking for more than one year at more than league minimum. With $16.6 million in projected cap space, the Zetterlund and Giroux deals, if they happen, might eat up close to half of that. Also, his being healthy-scratched in game one of the Leafs’ series was conspicuous to say the least.

Adam Gaudette

Gaudette established himself as a full-time NHLer last year, and it was a great story of reinvention. He may also want more term and money than one might want to pay. Gaudette may fit with what the Senators are trying to do, but again, what is his ceiling? And does he truly fit with a team trying to become harder to play against in a playoff series?

Look for Gaudette to find a home elsewhere and get a nice video tribute in his first game back.

Matthew Highmore

Highmore may not be a full-time NHLer, but Travis Green clearly likes him, and teams do need depth. Look for Highmore to return on one of those higher-paying AHL contracts with a league-minimum cap hit when he's in the show.

Travis Hamonic

It was all class the way the Senators made sure that Travis Hamonic got his 900th game in game 82 against the Hurricanes. With all due respect, if he gets to 901, it should be with another team.

Anton Forsberg

With Forsberg having a $2.75 million cap hit last season, it’s likely that the Senators will take those savings and let Sogaard and Merilainen battle it out for the backup job.

Why Is Ottawa Senators Defenceman Nick Jensen So Guarded About His Lower-Body Injury?Ottawa Senators defenceman Nick Jensen has reportedly undergone surgery for a lingering lower-body injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported this week that, according to league sources, Jensen had the procedure done in New York on Monday and admitted the injury was something he played through for the final few months of the season. He rarely participated in practice because of it.

One big wildcard is Nick Jensen. Jensen isn’t a UFA, but the state of his health could affect the team’s spending plans. He’s projected to be ready for training camp, but the team was very cagey about his health status in the second half of the season. If the Sens have to bring in some impactful right-handed defence help, that could alter plans.

No matter what happens, it's going to be an interesting month.

Pat Maguire
The Hockey News Ottawa

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